Ballyboden into Leinster Final

By Peter Branigan

18 November 2018

Ballyboden 5-28 (AET x 2)

Coolderry 5-25

Peter Branigan at Parnell Park

Ballyboden booked their place in the Leinster final after an extraordinary victory over Coolderry at Parnell Park. Two different periods of extra-time, and over ninety minutes of hurling, were needed to separare the teams.

It'll be a first provincial final appearance in eleven years for the Firhouse Road men, but they needed a late, late Paul Ryan free to avoid being beaten in normal time. Thereafter, they weren't behind, as they had the legs to see out the Offaly champions.

Ballyboden had never beaten an Offaly team in the Leinster Championship, but they made the dream start. First, Niall Ryan ran straight through the middle of the Coolderry defence before burying the sliotar into the right corner.

Within sixty seconds they had another, as Collie Basquel cut in from the right before finishing into the roof of the net. The county football panelist then added a point from out right.

But Coolderry respodned superbly, and hit six points in a row, four of which came from stalworth Brian Carroll. Boden stopped the rot in the tenth minute through a Paul Ryan free.

The sides then traded scores - Shen Durkin,Ryan, and Niall McMorrow for Boden, three Carroll efforts for the visitors - to leave two between the sides with twenty two minutes on the clock.

There was a big moment in the twenty-fifth minute, as Basquel put pressure on Coolderry keeper Stephen Corcoran. His clearance was partially blocked, and it fell to Conal Keaney. From twenty-five yards, he smashed the ball into the empty net. Suddenly the lead was back out to six points.

And the lead would be seven at the break. Stephen O'Connor and Basquel converted points from play, either side of another Carroll free.

Stephen O’Connor, Shane Durkin, David Curtin and a Paul Ryan free had stretched that Boden advantage to eight. But the Offaly champions finished the ball to the net, after a goalmouth scramble. And points Mark Bergan and another Carroll free had the gap down to three.

It was end to end, and the next score was a second Basquel goal of the game. At that stage, with less than fifteen minutes to go in the game, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Joe Fortune's charges could see it out from there.

But a Declan Parlon goal breathed life into this game, and set us up for a hectic finish. Boden were able to keep the gap at three heading into stoppage time, but Carroll then goaled. It looked as though Kevin Connolly had won it, but referee Justin Heffernan found five minutes of stoppage time from somewhere, and Paul Ryan's free forced extra-time.

On an incredible day for the twenty-two year-old, Basquel had his third goal of the game in the first-half of extra time. Carroll and Ryan continued their free-taking duel, but the lead at half-time in extra-time was four.

Just as it looked as though Boden were through, Carroll popped up with a goal, and there was another ten minutes to be played.

Like in the first period of extra-time, Boden put up a lead, this time of three points, after an effort from Doherty, and two more Ryan frees. But Coolderry weren't done, and they drew level when Corcoran scored a penalty.

Finally, Ballyboden got over the line, as three Ryan frees streered them home in the last five minutes. Next up, Ballyhale Shamrocks in two weeks' time.